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20 things we love about Star Trek: The Next Generation

Believe it or not, the popular sci-fi series just turned 20 years old. What better time to unleash our inner Trekkie?

By Tim LaiSpecial to the Star

Sat., Sept. 29, 2007

I wouldn't classify myself as a sci-fi fan at all – but I'm a huge TNG fan.

Two decades ago almost to the day, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the starship Enterprise warped onto television screens with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Its seven seasons of exploration not only fuelled the science-fiction community, but drew in average viewers with its survey of humanity through encounters with alien races, simulated situations, time travel and the curiosity of an android named Data.

TNG was the first syndicated show to be nominated for a Best Drama Emmy, and its reruns are still running strong around the world. A complete 49-disc DVD set of every season will be released Tuesday.

To mark the 20th anniversary of such a groundbreaking show, here's one humble take – there's lots of room for debate – on the 20 best things about Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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20

"Engage!": This two-syllable phrase crept into the public's vocabulary with Picard's gravitas and point of a finger. Debate with "Make it so."

19

Ten-forward: It was always interesting to hear crew members "buy" each other drinks at the head of in the Enterprise's lounge – even though money was eliminated. It's also where Guinan introduced Worf to prune juice.

18

The Traveler: The man from Tau Alpha C made only a few appearances throughout the series, but was one of the most memorable characters, with his powers to bridge time and space. His connection to Wesley Crusher started early on when he took the Enterprise to the edge of the universe and continued as the young ensign learned how to stop time.

17

The Ferengi: The big-eared intergalactic merchants started off as potential threats to the Federation, but their interests quickly turned to the adoration of business and women. Want to get a good deal? Have a female rub their earlobes.

16

Dyson Sphere: A 1950s theory about how a civilization could build a structure that completely surrounded a star to harness its energy. Not only did the Enterprise encounter such a monstrosity, but this was the episode in which Scotty returned.

15

Space probes: It seemed like all of these encountered by the Enterprise were mysterious, but one in particular tugged on the heart strings of viewers. In "The Inner Light," considered one of TNG's best episodes, Picard woke up after being scanned by a probe to discover himself living a full life with a family, something he had never had as a captain. The final scene in which Picard plays the flute was moving as well as haunting.

14

Dilithium: The crystalline mineral that fuels the warp drive was never specifically explained until TNG. Streams of matter and antimatter are directed into the dilithium crystal, which creates the plasma that powers the warp drive to travel faster than the speed of light.

Individual rights: The debate over man or machine was highlighted in "Measure of a Man" when Data was put on trial to determine he's a sentient being or the property of Starfleet. It was always a point of contention with Data, especially when Riker turned him off – but it furthered the android's exploration of humanity early on in the series.

11

Time shifting: No flux capacitor on board, but the Enterprise has seen its fair share of adventures through time – from the Gold Rush in San Francisco to several temporal rifts that saw various versions of the ship and even the return of the hitherto deceased Tasha Yar, who gave birth to a half-Romulan in an alternate-universe paradox. Ah, "Yesterday's Enterprise."

10

Cardassians: Although the race plays a big role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, these predatory, grey-faced bad guys don't appear in TNG until the fourth season. The Cardassians figured prominently in the memorable sixth season two-parter "Chain of Command" in which Picard was tortured.

9

"Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra": A metaphor for exploration in the episode "Darmok," in which the Enterprise meet beings who express themselves only in metaphor. "Sukat, his eye uncovered!" "Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel." Sure, it looks like gibberish here, but "Darmok" was one of the show's most exciting and creative scripts.

8

Lore: Although Data strived to be human, his twin brother exuded humanity's shameful qualities. Pulling the twin switch-a-roo can happen in any century, apparently.

7

Picard as a lady's man: The bald captain sure knew how to make the ladies swoon. Whether it was archaeological digs with Vash to playing the flute in the bulkheads with Neela Daren, Picard was a futuristic Romeo.

6

Data as a lady's man: Since he and Picard are by far the two most popular characters of the series, they need most of the attention. Early on – the third episode – Data's "abilities" were tested when Tasha Yar seduces the android. She asked if he's "functional" and he replied that he was, in various "techniques."

5

Saucer separation: The Enterprise from the original Star Trek left a lasting legacy about the look of a starship, but that immediately changed in the first episode of TNG when the saucer and warp drive sections separated. Although the Enterprise only separated in three episodes – due to budget restraints – it was a remarkable visual.

4

Star Trek crossovers: Even though TNG takes place nearly 80 years after Capt. Kirk's tenure, the longevity of Vulcans and a hitherto unknown transporter side effect gave Spock and Scotty cameos. And you can't forget a withered Bones in the pilot.

3

The holodeck: Who wouldn't want a room that could simulate reality? But the holodeck also got the crew into trouble on several occasions. Professor Moriarty became a cult figure after he took over the Enterprise after the computer was asked to create a character who could outwit Data.

2

Q: This omnipotent being provided the bookends to TNG, but added a lot of comedic flair with his mischievous dealings with Picard. He started off TNG by putting humanity on trial for its savage behaviour, but this recurring character delved into the intricacies of being human. In the series finale, "All Good Things ...," he helped Picard realize humanity has much exploration to do, not necessarily in outer space, but in its own mind.

1

The Borg: Resisting interest in this collective was futile. Its relentless pursuit of assimilating worlds, just as its cube-shaped ship, was immediately ominous. The Federation had never encountered such a threat until a single ship devastated the fleet in arguably the most popular episodes of the series, "The Best of Both Worlds" two-parter, in which Picard himself was assimilated by the evil cyborgs. Bonus points for inspiring the best TNG movie, First Contact.

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